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Oh well, I did it today. Wanted to get oily.
Was at 2 years and 25 000km, I guess that once every 2 years is reasonable.

Used valvoline synthetic (red jug). One is enough for a drain and fill.

Drained 3.9 litres or so. Refilled 4.3 litres or so before it began overflowing (warm). Then drove around until hot, then re-opened the checkplug and it drained a slow stream like they say, so I just closed it and that's it.

I guess next time I'm going to measure out what I drain and just refill that.

What I drain wasn't that bad, a bit on the dark side with some chunks, there was quite a bit of metal on the drain plug.
Other than that, not much, it's an easy drain and fill.... most of the time involved is getting the stuff out, removing the underpan, and cleaning up, so next time I'll do it when I do an oil change.

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unless your usage is really really severe like towing heavy sh*t I'd say it's overkill, I have 70 k miles and plan on doing it at 80k . Was nice on older cars to have a dipstick so you could easily check the color and scent. But when I do mine I intend to replace as much fluid as possible using the cooler lines.

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Well then I won't show it to you when I drain it - assuming my tranny makes it that long. Another situ where it's up to the individual to decide what maintenance needs to be done at what interval, never hurts to change fluids out, I did do the the rear diff at 60 k miles and it was quite clean. Tranny fluid should become a darker red over time , but finding "chunks" in it seems unusual.

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Well then I won't show it to you when I drain it - assuming my tranny makes it that long. Another situ where it's up to the individual to decide what maintenance needs to be done at what interval, never hurts to change fluids out, I did do the the rear diff at 60 k miles and it was quite clean. Tranny fluid should become a darker red over time , but finding "chunks" in it seems unusual.

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sounds like a bleak and foreboding outlook for my tranny, but seeing this is a 2013 SFS with the illustrious 2.0T Theta II engine - I'm far more concerned about the long term viability of the engine than the Hyundai tranny - which by most accounts would seem to be a solid design.

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sounds like a bleak and foreboding outlook for my tranny, but seeing this is a 2013 SFS with the illustrious 2.0T Theta II engine - I'm far more concerned about the long term viability of the engine than the Hyundai tranny - which by most accounts would seem to be a solid design.

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sounds like a bleak and foreboding outlook for my tranny, but seeing this is a 2013 SFS with the illustrious 2.0T Theta II engine - I'm far more concerned about the long term viability of the engine than the Hyundai tranny - which by most accounts would seem to be a solid design.

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Yes drive it till the fluid is black and super chunked, I'm just extrapolating from the brown and dirty with chunks at 80k miles or under to what it might look like at 100k miles - according to some doom and gloom prognostication.

"Different strokes for different folks and so on and so on boo sha sha"

A little line from sly and the family stone - I saw Joe Walsh do a pretty good cover of it a few yrs back. :laugh:

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Sorry to be doom and gloom but Hyundai Kia powertrains are really fragile and imho not really built for the real world. We all got dazzled by the long warranty but its got so many loopholes for the mfg to deny claims it might as well not exist.

I will let you in on my transmission experience with my former Sonata aka Red Sled (2.4l 6at)

Did a fluid drain and fill around 70k and put in Valvoline Asian fluid. Same as Hyundai spec
Started experiencing hard 1-2 shifts under light load around 80k and read up here that it may be fluid temperature sensor. Had warranty still so went to dealer for diagnosis
Dealer ran it and put it on the diag machine. It was actually failing internally and needed replacement
Dealer then asked...did you change fluid and if so what's the proof
Brought in opened bottle of fluid and pic of odometer at change...transmission replaced in 3 days

Moral here is get the fluid changed NOW! If they diagnose it and find it's got internal issues you have to prove it got maintained or else you will be ineligible for warranty and have to pay diag fee

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Sorry to be doom and gloom but Hyundai Kia powertrains are really fragile and imho not really built for the real world. We all got dazzled by the long warranty but its got so many loopholes for the mfg to deny claims it might as well not exist.

And you bought another Hyundai ? Why ? I'm one and done. Price looks attractive but you do get what you pay for.

So was your fluid brown and chunky ? Kind of like Campbell's soup ? So are you saying the entire powertrain is suspect ? As it so turns out I've driven my SFS on some moderate dirt roads, one time on a long 4wd drive road - which is shouldn't be on but thus far the powertrain is holding up.

I mean I'm at times a harsh critic of Hyundai but to say their powertrains are really fragile is something I don't agree with - until mine breaks of course.

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Sorry to be doom and gloom but Hyundai Kia powertrains are really fragile and imho not really built for the real world. We all got dazzled by the long warranty but its got so many loopholes for the mfg to deny claims it might as well not exist.

And you bought another Hyundai ? Why ? I'm one and done. Price looks attractive but you do get what you pay for.

So was your fluid brown and chunky ? Kind of like Campbell's soup ? So are you saying the entire powertrain is suspect ? As it so turns out I've driven my SFS on some moderate dirt roads, one time on a long 4wd drive road - which is shouldn't be on but thus far the powertrain is holding up.

I mean I'm at times a harsh critic of Hyundai but to say their powertrains are really fragile is something I don't agree with - until mine breaks of course.

I tried to give the brand a second chance since the 2.4 gdi and the Sonata were both new and my car was a first year. Besides the SFS was dirt cheap being a used lease return and I needed a cheap car.

At the time the engine issue was isolated to just the Sonata and I figured Santa Fe would be ok. I assumed SFS would be better made and look where it got me...

I say the powertrains are fragile based more on Hyundai service requirement along with my own experience. I live in the snowbelt as well as in the country so I drive on frozen gravel roads 1/3 of the year. Hyundais here are considered to be under the "severe" duty schedule, which has much more restrictive maintenance requirement such as oci's of 3750 vs 5000 miles. Yet the wife's terrain goes 5 to 7k between changes and its the same displacement engine with the same gdi tech subject to the same climate. GM only advocates severe duty maintenance under extended idle situations...like police or taxi service.

So far I have had no transmission issues with the santa fe but had an impending failure on the Sonata that was luckily caught before it went out of warranty. And my old fluid was dark but not brown or chunky...just old.

My sfs is fwd so no rear axle issues but lots of reports on this board of noises and failures. I do regret not going awd since the gas mileage seems to be similar...

Sad part is I still love the design of Hyundai and Kia cars along with the technology. I still await news of the Santa Cruz trucklet and look forward to test driving one. Plus the Kona has a BEV version that seems to be very promising.

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AWD takes a hit, at least on the 2.0T it's rated 3 mpg less for highway on my 2013. I'd agree that Hyundai isn't top of the line, Toyotas are much more durable - that will draw some response from folks that had issues with Toyotas, had Hyundai done it's EPA testing properly in 2013 I'd be driving a 4runner - which is a very rugged vehicle , see hordes of them in CO .

I'm read posts here and don't see all that many about rear diff failures and not that many on their tranny, recall seeing that at one point Hyundai was buying their auto boxes but then started making their own - the 6 speed is not a lightweight but seems to be well built. Of course tranny fluid darkens over time - just like oil will doesn't necessarily mean it's past it's useful life.

To me hyundai on the whole builds reliable vehicles - but not the most reliable nor the best design, hence the lower cost. Lease returns are always a gamble as are rental cars - did you have access to maintenance records I hope.

I recently went on a trip requiring high clearance vehicle - really bad road with all sorts of rock, couldn't fit all the gear in friends 4runner so rented a Ford F150, gave that thing quite the workout but even with high clearance frame scraped rocks many times but truck performed well and with 10 speed auto fuel mileage was surprising good, but it's a 50k truck.

Given your experience I can understand your prespective, I'm one and done just because I want something better engineered for off road use. Daughter had excellent results with her 2007 Elantra, but the suspension was p*ss poor on it.

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AWD takes a hit, at least on the 2.0T it's rated 3 mpg less for highway on my 2013. I'd agree that Hyundai isn't top of the line, Toyotas are much more durable - that will draw some response from folks that had issues with Toyotas, had Hyundai done it's EPA testing properly in 2013 I'd be driving a 4runner - which is a very rugged vehicle , see hordes of them in CO .

I'm read posts here and don't see all that many about rear diff failures and not that many on their tranny, recall seeing that at one point Hyundai was buying their auto boxes but then started making their own - the 6 speed is not a lightweight but seems to be well built. Of course tranny fluid darkens over time - just like oil will doesn't necessarily mean it's past it's useful life.

To me hyundai on the whole builds reliable vehicles - but not the most reliable nor the best design, hence the lower cost. Lease returns are always a gamble as are rental cars - did you have access to maintenance records I hope.

I recently went on a trip requiring high clearance vehicle - really bad road with all sorts of rock, couldn't fit all the gear in friends 4runner so rented a Ford F150, gave that thing quite the workout but even with high clearance frame scraped rocks many times but truck performed well and with 10 speed auto fuel mileage was surprising good, but it's a 50k truck.

Given your experience I can understand your prespective, I'm one and done just because I want something better engineered for off road use. Daughter had excellent results with her 2007 Elantra, but the suspension was p*ss poor on it.

Yup I lucked out with Copper Top bc it got turned in where it was originally leased and they did all the service.

I realize I misspoke on the awd...more issues vs failures. Mainly noises and lights but I'd be curious to see at while mileage these are being reported. Ironically the awd system is pretty good when called into duty vs other crossovers but ride height is too low for real offloading.

I have to brand switch regardless of my affliction bc I need a full size truck at this point. At least then I will have something to tow Copper Top back home with!

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Yes drive it till the fluid is black and super chunked, I'm just extrapolating from the brown and dirty with chunks at 80k miles or under to what it might look like at 100k miles - according to some doom and gloom prognostication.

"Different strokes for different folks and so on and so on boo sha sha"

A little line from sly and the family stone - I saw Joe Walsh do a pretty good cover of it a few yrs back. :laugh:

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I'll take the 30$ a year gamble of replacing 4 litres of atf myself, but that's just me...
my 2004 maxima, notorious for failing transmissions, started having hard shifts at 50 000km.
Started changing the atf every year(fixed it immediately). Sold it with 200 000km and a perfectly smooth transmission 6 years later.

The santa fe just started giving me rougher shifts after 2 years, and since I have changed the atf, it's been back to normal as far as I can tell, I didn't get rough shifts this week so far.
It's not really longer when you are already draining the engine oil to just pop another plug, let 4l out, measure, pour the same in, and done. Longest part is really just prepping, ramps, remove underbelly, and then the cleanup... oh well. whatever. trust me the fluid wasnt any shade of red....

I just replaced the battery on the car for the first time. Tried to tighten the positive clamp and could not get it to the point where the clamp was tight.
There is a metal section of the clamp that slides to tighten the clamp, it is pushed by the 10mm bolt that has a domed section under it and...

Just ordered new map update from MnSoft and it only cost now $25 + $10 shipping for a new SD card. It used to be $145 + $25.
Anyone else find this to be correct.
I ordered it and and just got a confirmation of shipment.
Update: Just called MnSoft and they confirmed price change.

Hi,
Thinking about opening the trunk for a couple of hours with the trunk light turned off at the beach. Will the battery still drain? How do I deactivate this? Or better yet, where to locate the trunk door sensor to trick that the door is closed so that I can leave it open?
HELP